How did a computer scientist such as Geoffrey Hinton manage to win a Nobel Prize in physics when computer science already has its own Nobel Prize equivalent in the Turing Awards?
12.06.2025 03:23
^* Fibiger got the 1926 Medicine prize for the discovery of Spiroptera carcinoma (Don’t ask).
Fortunately, we are privy to the discussion that led up to this:
They then move on to selectively provide their own version of history. But hey, it’s OK. They wanted controversy, didn’t they? Whatever.
What are the best Jewish jokes?
My 11 million SEK, Dr Jo.
Why wait any longer for the world to begin?
[Older voice] "Mmm. What about Hinton, he's widely regarded? Nobody got fired for buying IBM"
Ryan Lochte’s wife Kayla reveals ‘painful’ divorce after seven years of marriage - New York Post
"Good point, I'm sure we can swing it. And let's tack on Hopfield while we're about it."
Whatever.
… then anything is possible. There’s no rule that a Nobel Prize has to make sense.^*
Is there a correlation between being a medium and mental health?
"Hey guys, AI is pretty big so let's centre our prizes on it this year. We can get some attention, and it's all about advertising, at the end of the day, isn't it?"
"Good idea, but how can we wangle something that says 'Physics'?"
When he's standing, in front of you
Cloudy skies can’t dim joy as thousands fill nation’s capital for World Pride parade - AP News
A fly on the wall at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
^† They rationalise their decision thusly:
(Mumbles of assent)
How do teachers justify punishing a student for fighting back against their bullies?
"Where can we shoehorn it in? Chemistry is easy 'cos AlphaFold; but what about physics? A bit more challenging, right?"
"Didn't he do something with Boltzmann in it? That sounds physics-y. RBMs and stuff, eh?"
[The basic structure of artificial neural networks] has close similarities with spin models in statistical physics applied to magnetism or alloy theory. This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics recognizes research exploiting this connection to make breakthrough methodological advances in the field of ANN.
What is your first experience having sex with older men?
There you go.^†
In awarding prizes, the Nobel Committees often seem only marginally more competent than MTG is at explaining meteorology. And if they can give a literature prize for lyrics like:
In December 1973, when Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, comedian Tom Lehrer dropped his mic and stamped on it—satire had just died.
Adam Sandler will cast Derrick Henry in a movie if he rushes for 2,000 yards - NBC Sports
(Bob Dylan, Nobel Prize for Literature, 2016)
You can have your cake and eat it too
"Naah, Linnainmaa is a Finn. Can't give it to a bloody Finnish mathematician. Let's go for drinks. Brännvin anyone?"
Whatever.
Why wait any longer for the one you love?
[Younger voice] "But wait a minute, Ising-Lenz goes back to the 1920's. And didn't Hinton plagiarise rather a lot? He also didn't invent modern backprop, did he, that's Linnainmaa? And Amari preceded Hopfield, too. That's not a good look."